Exhibitions

Medieval Manuscripts
Eddas and Sagas

Many of Iceland’s national treasures are on display in the Culture House’s featured exhibition Medieval Manuscripts – Eddas and Sagas. It includes the principal medieval manuscripts, such as Codex Regius of the Poetic Edda and the compendium Flateyjarbók, as well as law codices and Christian works, not to forget the Sagas of Icelanders. An important paper manuscript from later centuries is also displayed.

The old vellum manuscripts preserve the Northern classical heritage: unique sagas, poems and narratives which are often our sole written sources of information on the society, religion and world view of the people of Northern Europe from pagan times through the tumult of Viking Expansion, the settlement of the Atlantic Islands and the period of Christianisation.

The exhibition focuses on the period preceding the writing of the manuscripts, their origins and role, manuscript collecting, editions, and on their reception in Iceland and abroad. It also portrays the process of book making itself: preparing the vellum and ink, writing, illuminating etc. are explained in a special exhibit area.

Every Monday and Friday at 3:00 pm, there is an open guided tour of the exhibition in English.

The Medieval Manuscripts exhibition is among the venues and sites within The Icelandic Saga Trail Association:

Opened 5 October 2002, on permanent view

Millennium - phase one

In this first phase of the exhibition Millennium, a variety of pieces from the collection of the National Gallery, from the 19th century to the present, are displayed. Selected landscape paintings by the pioneers of Icelandic visual arts, abstract paintings and sculptures from the mid 20th century, and contemporary art in all its diversity are presented. Landscape and national heritage are pronounced in Icelandic art, while international trends set their mark on the artwork.

This exhibition, mounted by the National Gallery in the loft and staircase, is the first step taken towards utilizing the exhibition spaces in the Culture House for Icelandic art through the ages. When the exhibit is complete it will cover art from medieval to contemporary times and will then incorporate works in the custody of the National Museum of Iceland and the Árni Magnússon Institute of Icelandic Studies.

Opened 22 June 2011, on permanent view

Child of Hope - Youth and Jón Sigurðsson

The exhibition Child of Hope marks the bicentenary of the birth of Icelandic national hero Jón Sigurðsson (1811-79). It explores his childhood and youth in Arnarfjörður and Reykjavík, and his later life in Copenhagen, where he was engaged in scholarly and political work. Jón and his wife Ingibjörg were childless, but brought up Jón’s nephew Sigurður from the age of eight.

This is a colourful portrayal of the life of a country lad from the West Fjords who went on to work in a shop in Reykjavík, before pursuing his education and becoming one of Iceland’s great political leaders, accompanied by his loyal wife who had waited so many years to marry him, and their little foster-son. Their personal story is recounted in the context of the Icelanders’ campaign for independence from Danish rule in the 19th century, and the broader European political movements of the time.

The title Child of Hope conjures up the praise and adulation that was heaped upon Jón Sigurðsson, in such terms as Iceland’s longed-for child, its honour, sword and shield, and highlights his iconic status in Icelandic history for his role in Iceland’s journey to autonomy.

The concept of the exhibition is to appeal specifically to children, and it is especially accessible to families and school groups. The exhibition text is by writer Brynhildur Þórarinsdóttir, who has retold Icelandic sagas for young readers, and design is by artist Sigurjón Jóhannsson.

Child of Hope is a joint project of the Culture House and the Jón Sigurðsson bicentennial anniversary committee.

From 15 January 2011 for an unspecified period of time

The Library Room

The Library Room, the old reading room of the National Library, features an exhibit selected and arranged by the National and University Library. On display are many of the landmark books of Icelandic cultural history, dating from the introduction of printing in the sixteenth century to the present day. These include the oldest published versions of the Sagas of Icelanders, Sagas of the Kings of Norway and Eddic poems, Hallgrímur Pétursson’s Psalms of Christ’s Passion and Vidalín’s Homilies, popular educational works from the Enlightenment, law codices and land registers, cultural journals and folktale collections from the nineteenth century, the works of Nobel laureate Halldór Laxness and other writers, selected books of poetry and much more.

A number of changing themed exhibitions run throughout the year in the Library Room. It serves as a bright and elegant setting for concerts, meetings, lectures and other events held at the Culture House.

Opened 20 April 2000, on permanent view

Photography Exhibition

Two new photography graduates display their work on the current exhibition in the art exhibition series in the Culture House shop and café.

Gunnar Örn Árnason shows landscape pictures that will be printed in a photography book with his photos of Icelandic nature. Gunnar approaches nature with an artistic eye. He took the pictures from air and ground in South Iceland and in the highland. They illustrate the majesty of nature and its manifold shapes and colours.

Finnbogi Björnsson shows works from his graduate project at the Photography School. The project revolves around sheep farming in the vicinity of Reykjavík and the lifestyle of the sheep farmers. Farming in Iceland has centred on sheep for centuries. The history and life of the Icelandic nation, as well as of the land and its usage, are tightly knit with sheep farming. The photos were taken over a period of one year, showing all four seasons.

From 2 March to 30 May 2013

Exhibitions in the Meeting Rooms

Opened 20 April 2000, on permanent view, Sundays